Shannon Scheel

As a rule of thumb, journalists are supposed to omit bias from their writing.  That’s why I’m a columnist: I love articulating my opinions.  Particularly, I am a diehard, OG Aziz Ansari fan from the days when he performed stand-up comedy, obsessing over rappers (See: 50 Cent and the Grapefruit, one of my all-time favorites).  So, will this post about Ansari’s new Netflix Original series, Master of None, be influenced by that adoration?  Slightly, but not by much. *wink*

11.24.TW

Image via

Although I’m a diehard Ansari fan, I’ll admit I was a bit concerned about the quality of an original series created by him.  While his stand-up (and character Tom Haverford on NBC’s Parks and Recreation) are outrageously hilarious, the two personas maintain a similar tone of humor and delivery that could be hard to divert from.  But in Master of None, Ansari layers his quintessential puns with insightful, well-timed observational humor in the form of 21st century social commentary, relatable to millennials everywhere.  The combination is pure comedic genius.

I knew within the first five minutes of watching that he was onto something beyond Tom Haverford.  Don’t stress, Parks and Rec fans, classic Ansari is still making magic with his rap references and witticisms.  In Master of None, Ansari stars as Dev, a B-List actor going through the motions of daily life as a young single guy in New York City.  Dev and his posse grapple with everything from nightmarish dating scenarios and how to respond to text messages to nuanced racism and marginalization in their professional careers.  I found myself laughing aloud at the opening sequence of the first episode, which involves an awkward ending to a date and an obscure Uber ride.  ‘I was going to take an UberBLACK, because I didn’t want to seem cheap, but the closest one was fifteen minutes away so we have to take an UberX,’ Ansari quips to his on-screen love interest.  I may have looked ridiculous full-on cackling at my computer screen to a bystander, but I couldn’t help myself: the intelligent mix of awkward dating situations with millennials’ ridiculous dependency on technology hit too close to home.  Here's a clip from Episode 6 demonstrating Ansari’s commentary on our generation’s technological dependency.

Grey.Line.7

Master of None layers well-timed observational humor in the form of 21st century social commentary, relatable to millennials everywhere.

Grey.Line.7

Though these themes could seem to be classic traps of sitcom television oversimplifying a social commentary, Master of None’s writing artfully balances the severity and prevalence of the issues facing our generation with its clever observational humor.  The third episode, for example, presents an incredibly well-crafted commentary on the representation of Indian stereotypes in the media: the scene opens with a compilation of films and TV shows featuring portrayals of Indian actors.  Although this episode in particular focuses on Dev’s professional struggles, it's not the aim of Ansari to paint Dev or Indians as 'victims.'  The sentiments expressed in this episode could be echoed by any individual who has felt marginalized or has dealt with the realities of coping with these issues on a daily basis.  In this sense, Master of None utilizes comedy to create a communal feeling of empathy amongst spectators.

Master of None is a stroke of pure genius.  I’m convinced that every millennial, no matter their background, will find a sense of comedic solace in the acute social commentary presented by Ansari in his portrayal of Dev.  Give it a watch, but be careful: you might be procrastinating for a few hours....or until all ten episodes have been devoured.

 

Comments (0)

There are no comments posted here yet

Leave your comments

Posting comment as a guest. Sign up or login to your account.
Attachments (0 / 3)
Share Your Location